Winding head for flexible shaft forming machines



April 25, 1944. c. F; HOTCHKISS, JR 2,347,632

WINDING HEAD FOR- FLEXIBLE SHAFT FORMING MACHINES Original Filed Jan. 18, 1943 4 Sheet-Sheet 1 Elma/MM afffi ataiass, Jr:

April 25, 1944. c. F. HOTCHKISS, JR 2,347,632

WINDING HEAD FOR FLEXIBLE SHAFT FORMING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jan. 18, 1945 llllrlllllllllllll mm as H 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 5, 1944- -c. F. HOTCHKISS, JR

WINDING HEAD FOR FLEXIBLE SHAFT FORMING MACHINES Original Filed Jan. 18, 1945 April 25, 1944. c. F. HOTCHKISS, JR 2,347,632

WINDING HEAD FOR FLEXIBLE SHAFT FORMING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Jan. 18, 1943 Patented Apr. 25, 1944 WINDING HEAD FOR FLEXIBLE SHAFT FORMING MACHINES Clarence F. Hotchkiss, Jr., Binghamton, N. Y., assignor to Stow Manufacturing Company, Inc., Binghamton, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application January 18, 1943, Serial No.

472,770. Divided and this application November 2, 1943, Serial No. 508,755

Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus and method of manufacturing flexible shafting of the type wherein a central core or wire is wound with one or more successive layers or convolutions of a plurality of wires with the successive layers or wire coats layered up on the core usually composed of a plurality of proper gauge wires and successive layers are usually wound in opposite directions.

An object of the invention is the construction of an apparatus whereby exceedingly long lengths of flexible shafting may be wound up in a semi-continuous manner. That is, the present machine is capable of forming lengths of shafting several hundred feet long and instead of requiring a long building similar to a rope walk the apparatus is considerably compacted whereby a length of shafting twice as long as the building may be wound.

A further object of the present apparatus is the formation of flexible shafting starting with a central core and winding a layer of wire thereon, together with the placing of successive layers over the first wound layer. In operation, the core or previously wound shaft is fed from a reel joined intermediately of two normally equal lengths of shafting in such a manner that only the intermediate section passes through the winding apparatus. That is, as the core or initially wound shafting is fed from a storage reel it is in three or more lengths joined by swivel connections so that the portion of the shafting being wound may be rotated on its longitudinal axis whereby succeeding layers are applied to the rotating section.

A still further object of the present apparatus is the novel construction of a winding head whereby the central core or initially wound cable is rotated on its axis to smoothly and tightly apply a layer or coat of wire thereto and simultaneously. advance the wound shafting therethrough.

In the drawings: a

Figure l is a diagrammatic layout of the; entire semi-automatic flexible shaft winding machine for carrying out the features of this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in crosssection of the winding head and shafting advancing apparatus;

Figure 3 is a topplan view of the winding head;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is also a sectional View taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3 in the direction of the arrows.

It is believed that a general statement and explanation of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 will be of assistance in understanding the advantages and operation of the apparatus as a whole before describing the machine and its associated parts in detail.

Referring to Figure l, the apparatus comprises generally a rotatable storage reel I carrying a core or previously wound shafting 3 and connected thereto by a swivel 5 is a further length of the core or initially wound shafting 1. This section 7 extends over pulleys 9 and H with intermediate sup-porting rollers 13' and, thence, around pulleys l5 and IT. The periphery of the roller [1 is at such a height that the core or wire passing thereover and to be wound is fed directly through a winding tool generally denoted by the numeral IS. A plurality of wires 2! carried on a supply stand 23 are fed into the winding tool 19 where they are wound upon the initial shaiting l as it isdrawn through the tool. Axial rotation is given to this entire section of core I and wound section I through the medium of a winding head 25. The head 25 imparts rotary movement to the sections 1 and H5 of the shafting and simultaneously pulls or feeds the wound shafting therethrough, the linear movement of the unwound and wound portions of the shafting being indicated by the direction arrows. The previously wound length 21 attached to the Wound portion I15 of section l' passes over pulleys or drums 29, 3| and 33 to a storage reel 35 positively driven by motor 3'! and it will be obvious that the swivel 39 between these sections prevents the axial rotative movement between the section of the shifting being wound and the previously wound portion 2'! thereof passing to the storage reel.

In the prior art, flexible shafts have usually been wound'by stringing up a core and manually carrying along the core a perforated die plate through which wires are fed to lay on the successive convolute layers. Attempts have been made to eliminate these manual operations and to create automatic or semi-automatic machines for carrying out these steps but until the advent of the present invention these prior attempts had not solved the practical difliculties involved particularly those encountered in forming larger diameter flexible shafting. As before stated, this apparatus permits a length of central core wire or a shaft which has been initially wound to be drawn and twisted during its passage through the machine, whereby a continuous, smooth, tight helix is wound upon the core or initial shaft in such a manner that a shaft of several hundred feet in length can be operated upon before readjusting the machine to carry out a further winding step.

The initial core or previously wound shaft I is separated from the remaining material on the reel I by a swivel 5, so that the entire length of the core or initial shafting I to be operated on turns on its longitudinal axis without imparting rotation to the portion 3. Swivel 39 prevents rotation between wound portion 21 and wound portion N of section I. g

The winding head 25 and winding tool or die I9 are mounted intermediate the lower pulleys I 5 and H on a fixed base and are contiguous to each other. The winding head 25 through which the section I and wound portion H5 is drawn and rotated is positively driven by a jack shaft IOI suitably connected by belts or other power-transmitting means to a motor I00. The jack shaft is supported in antifriction bearings I02 mounted in the supporting frame H3. The winding head accomplishes two purposes, namely, the rotation of the shafting whereby the wires 2| feeding through winding tool I9 are layered up or wound upon the core or initially wound shaft and, secondly, the drawing through or imparting linear movement to the shafting as the winding progresses. The winding head per se is shown in detail in Figures 2 to 5, inclusive, and consists of an open box-like frame composed of a pair of channel irons I03 affixed to end plates I04 and I05. The other pair of channels I03 do not extend across the head to the end plates but have their ends joined by bars I40, MI and I53, I54, as will be hereinafter described.

The end plates I04 and I05 of the box frame are rotatably supported on tubular shafts I20 and I35, respectively. The right-hand hollow axle I20, as shown in Figure 3, is supported within the inner race I00 of a ball bearing having its outer race I08 fitted in a journal. I I0 affixed in the upper part of frame II3. This end assembly is held in adjusted position by a nut 200 threaded on the tubular shaft I20 inside the cover plate The left-hand hollow axle I35, the larger diameter portion 204 of which is pressed into a depression in the end plate I05, is supported within the inner race I0'I of a ball bearing having its outer race I09 fitted in a journal I I I affixed to the upper part of frameI I3. This end assembly is held in adjusted position by a nut 205 threaded on the tubular shaft I35.

The tubular shaft I3I is mounted for independent rotation in spaced bearings 202 and 203. The inner bearing 202 is supported in the larger diameter portion 204 of sleeve I35. The bearing 203 holding the outer end of the sleeve I3I is fitted within an annular opening of flanged cover cylinder 200 and retained in'position by nut 201 and cover 200'.

A drive pulley I2I is secured on the outer end of the hollow shaft I20 whereby rotative movement is given the entire 'box frame I03 when the drive pulley I2I thereon is connected to the jack shaft IIH. An intermediate belt tightener I22 may be interposed between the jack shaft pulley I66 and frame drive shaft pulley I2 I.

A similar drive pulley I30 is secured on the tubular shaft I3 I The innerend of tubular shaft I3I terminates in a gear I32, so that, when movelow shaft I3I it freely turns through the end plate and has no effect upon the rotative movement thereof. The end gear I32 meshes with an offset pinion I33 carried on a bolt I34 extending through the end plate I05 and carries thereon a second pinion I36 of smaller diameter also carried on the bolt I34. This reduced diameter pinion I36 meshes with pinion I31 which is of larger diameter and is secured to a horizontal shaft I38 extending from the end plate I05 to a bearing I39 carried on the arm I40 extending between the ends of two of the shorter channels I03. A similar vertical arm MI is mounted on the opposite sides of the upper and lower shorter channels I03 in spaced relation to the arm I40 and, between these arms, an axial bolt I42 is mounted carrying a beveled wheel I43. An upwardly extending yoke or fork I is also positioned on the axial bolt I42 and carries between its upper sides a non-metallic wheel I5I. The end of the yoke I50 is pivotally secured to an adjustable turnbuckle rod I52, having a screw-threaded end passing through'a-n arm I53 which bridges the opposite pair of the shorter box frame members I03. Secured to the opposite side of the corresponding frame members is a second arm I54 and between these arms is positioned an axle I55 on which is mounted a grooved pulley wheel I50.

The horizontal shaft I38 driven by gear I3? is provided with a worm I58 that meshes with worm gear I59 carried on the shaft I30 journaled between the frame members I03 extending from end plate I04 to end plate I05. Alarger diameter pulley I6I is mounted on shaft I60 and positively driven by the worm and gear I 58, I53.

In operation, the core or the initially wound cable is threaded through the driven tubular axle I3I and passes over a. portion of the grooved freely rotating pulley I56 and in contact with the periphery of the driven wheel I 6| and thence over free pulley I43 and outwardly from the winding head through driven axle I20. The shafting is preferably wound around the driven pulley IBI a plurality of turns to insure suficlent frictional contact therewith for continuously and smoothly drawing the shafting through the winding head. This contact is additionally secured by maintaining the periphery of the upper free wheel I5I against the flexible shafting on the driven pulley by means of the pivoted yoke I50 and its adjustable turnbuckle I52. The convolutions of the shafting on the driven pulley are maintained in parallel relation and prevented from .overrunning each other by means of a pivoted knife or finger I in contact with the shafting as it is started on the pulley IBI through the tension exerted by coil spring I66.

As before stated, the drive pulleys I2I and I30 are, rotated from lower parallel jack shaft MI. The power to pulley I2I for rotating the cage or frame of the winding head is taken off from pulley I60 and through suitable belting or the like over belt tightener I22 to the upper pulley. The drive pulley I30 through which the gear chain previously described rotates the shafting advancing drum ISI is similarly driven from the jack shaft through an adjustable speed pulley ment is imparted to the driven pulley I30 and hol- I61 and belt tightener I00. Normally the drive pulley I30 is driven at a somewhat faster rate of rotation than is the drive pulley I2I.

Just prior ,to the advancing of the shafting through the winding head'initially wound shafting I passes through the wire laying device I0 where the plurality of strands of wire composing the helix or coat I'I5 are laid up thereon. The

wound shafting I15 is advanced and rotated as it passes through the winding head 25 and, as before described, the swivels and 39 permit only the initially wound portion 1 and the additionally wound portion I of the shafting to rotate.

This novel apparatus of forming large diameter flexible shafting and apparatus for carrying out the method allows exceptionally long lengths of shafting to be manufactured in a semi-automatic manner and within a comparatively small space.

This application is a divisional application of my copending application, Serial Number 472,770, filed January 18, 1943, entitled Apparatus and method for making flexible shafting.

What I claim is:

1. A flexible core winding head including a rotatable frame comprising spaced end pieces joined by horizontal bars, outwardly extending horizontal tubular axles supporting said end pieces, a freely rotatable hollow shaft passing through one of said tubular axles and end pieces, the other of said tubular axles being rigidly secured to the other of said end pieces, a horizontal drive shaft mounted within said frame and connected to the said freely rotatable hollow shaft, a draw pulley pivotally mounted in the said rotatable frame transversely of said horizontal drive shaft and operatively connected thereto, means to independently rotate the said hollow shaft and the tubular axle secured to the frame end piece whereby a flexible core threaded through said hollow shaft and tubular axle and contacting the periphery of said draw pulley will be axially rotated and longitudinally drawn through said winding head.

2. A winding head as defined in claim 1 wherein the inner end of the freely rotatable hollow shaft terminates in an external gear and meshes with one pinion of a gear train terminating in a pinion secured to the end of the horizontal drive shaft adjacent the end piece through which said freely rotatable shaft extends.

3. A winding head as defined in claim 1 wherein a plurality of wheels are mounted in said frame on axles in the parallel plane of said draw pulley and on either side thereof, one of said wheels having a peripheral groove therearound and positioned adjacent the inner end of the said freely rotatable hollow shaft to direct the flexible core threaded through the winding head into contact with the said draw pulley while the other said wheel directs the threaded core outwardly through the alined tubular axle.

4. A winding head as defined in claim 1 wherein a fork carrying a wheel is pivoted to said frame with the periphery of the wheel yieldably held against the flexible core in contact with said draw pulley, the convolutions of said flexible core being maintained in separate conditions by means of a finger secured to a shaft transversely pivoted across the rotatable frame and pressed into engagement with the periphery of the draw pulley.

5. A winding head as defined in claim 1 wherein the said tubular axles supporting the rotatable frame are mounted in bearings carried on the upper portions of a pair of spaced vertical standards and one of the said tubular axles and the freely rotatable shaft are independently driven from a common jack shaft in parallel relation thereto and carried by the lower portions of said vertical standards.

CLARENCE F. HOTCHKISS, JR. 

